Valve assembly for well pumps



APatented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT' oFFiCE 2,005,299 v. VALVE ASSEMBLY Foa WELL PUMrs John Penrod, Okmulgee, Okla.- Application April 29, 1930,.Serial No. 448,346

l 2 Claims. (Cl. 251-121) The invention contemplates a well pump valve mechanism in which the seat for the ball valve is annularly grooved between the upper and lower edges thereof to define upper and lower seats,

the upper seat in addition to functioning as such, providing a guide by which the ball valve is directed axially into engagement with the lower seat, while the presence of the annular groove provides for the temporary reception of sand that l0 would otherwise interfere with the seating of the ball valve.

during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a. vertical sectional view through the lower portion of a pump plunger and associated parts, the plunger beingl equipped with the improved valve structure,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portion of a well pump disclosing a standing valve embodying the invention.

In the drawing, the numeral Ill designates a suitable means by which oil or other fluid may enter the pump from the well and such means is shown to be connected at the upper end thereof to a foot valve shoe I2 which is,- in turn, con.- nected at the upper end thereof to the usual tubing I4; .Y

'I'he foot valve shoe I2 is shown to have a bore somewhat less in diameter than the internal diameter of the tubing to receive a foot valve embodying a foot valve body I6 and a plurality of 35 pairs of opposed cups I8, the cups being in close contact with the wall of the foot valve shoe. 'I'he cups of each pair have the opposed edges thereof rather close together so that, if during the removal of the pump from'the well, descent of 40 tubing fluid in substantial volume is taking place, such fluid will be prevented from spreading the cups and thereby rendering the same unfit for -further use. 'I'his feature also protects the cups from damage when lpassing the joints of the 45 tubing.

Figure 2 illustrates that the foot valve of the pump is adapted-to seat upon a ball stop element 2li threaded into the cage 22 .of a standing valve 24. The ball lstop 20 is provided with a 50 pair of converging arms 2-6 having the lower portions thereof positioned centrally within the valve cage 22 and in the path of travel of the ball valve 24 to limit ascent of the latter. e

In further adverting to the arrangement of the arms 26, it is pointed out that the same have the lower ends thereof disposed in intersecting planes cooperating in the formation of a centrally located V-shaped recess adapted to receive the upper portion of the associated spherical valve element. When the spherical valve ele'- 5 ment 24 is nested partly within the V-shaped recess defined by the angularly disposed lower ends of the converging arms 26, the ball is held thereby in a central position in the surrounding cage to allow of-the free ascent of uid about all 10 sides of the ball valve and at the same time to prevent the ball valve from beating out the side walls of the cage.

It is thus seen that the arms 26 4perform the duel purpose of allowing of the relatively free 15 ascent of iiuid through the cage and at the same time protecting the side walls of the cage from destructive contact by the ball valve. 'Ihe upward passage of iiuid about all sides of the spherical valve element in substantially uniform volume has 20 the effect of holding the ball valve centrally with the top surface thereof in engagement with the angularly disposed lower ends of the arms-26; In this manner, the fluid conductingcapacity of the closed cage 22 is increased and the life of 25 the cage and the associated ball stops prolonged greatly. y

The seat 28 for the ball valve 24 is shown to be annularly grooved betweenv the upper and lower, edges thereof to define separate upper and 30 lower seats and an interveningsand pocket and at the same time to cause the upper seat to function as a sort of guide by which the ball valve ris directed axially into sealing engagement with the lower seat. y

One of the failures of many seats to lastlonger is attributed to the fact that the ball approaches the seat thereof at an angle t the axis of the seat and therefore produces uneven wear on the seat or, as might otherwise be stated, destroys 40 the initial concentricity of the seat. The diminished width of each seat makes it possible for the ball valve, while in the act of seating itself, to remove from the narrowed seats such particles of sand as may have accumulated thereon. Such particles of sand that are forced oil.' the narrowed seats by the descending ball are received either in the annular groove of the valve seat 28 or are directed either above or below the valve ring thereby allowing of the proper seating of the ball valve.

It will be seen that the establishment of a iiuid tight seal between the ball valve element 24 and the two seats of the valve ring 28 is effected simultaneously and that the spherical formation of the element 24 and the fact that the same is relatively free when unseated allows of the presentation of new surfaces to the seats each time the ball descends.

It is well known that in a pumping well, especially when operating at capacity and/or in deep territory, the fluid control valves having the same general purpose as those shown herein are seated with a terrific pounding force under the influence of the weight of the column of fluid above. Many times this pounding force is suflicient to break the valve elements and the seats thereof, necessitating a shut-down and costly repair. Now, it will be observed that the sand receiving pocket in the seating member 28 not only functions as such but as a fluid receiving chamber in opposed relation to the associated ball valve so that the uid in the chamber will function as a cushion resisting the violent seating of the ball valve under the weight of the tubing iiuid above.

For example, coincident with the seating of the ball valve 24, a small portion of the ball valve will,

due to its convexity, enter the combination sand pocket and iluid cushion member and displace a portion of the fluid therein. Since the fluid thus discharged from the chamber in the seating member must pass between the valve element and the upper and lower seating surfaces, a protecting fluid cushion is created thereby greatly diminishing the pounding of the valve element adjacent the seat thereof. To be sure, the volume of fiuid thus displaced and caused .to move across the adjacent valve seats is minute as it is intended to be, but it is, nevertheless, suilicient to cushion the seating of the ball valve and prolong the life of both the ball valve and its seat. In fact, it is desired to restrict to the minimum the volume of jluid thus displaced so as to allow of the quick seating of the valve. The displacement of a substantial volume of uid would retard the seating of the ball valve, a matter which is recognized as desirable to avoid.

The seat 28 is held in place against a shouldered portion of the standing valve cage 22 by a bushing 30 which, in addition to functioning as a retaining means for the seat 28, provides for the connection of a gas anchor or other inlet memberI 3| to the pump.

A standing valvecage is designated by the numeral 34 and is shown in Figure 2 to have connection with the foot valve body I8, a valve seat ring 35 similar in design to the valve seat ring 28 being confined between the upper end of the foot valve body I6 and a shouldered portion or other stop element located within the lower portion of the cage 34. More particularly, each seating surface of the seating member or body 35 is formed between the upper and lower edges thereof with an annular groove defining upper and lower seats and an intervening chamber, such seats, as in the case of the seats of the member 28, being concaved and struckin the same arc.

A'ball valve 31 cooperates with the seat 35 in controlling the admission of fluid to the working barrel and is limited in 'its ascent by a stop element 39 on the lower end of the stem 40 of a cone valve 4|. A coil spring 42 is confined between the stop element 39 and a spider-like bridge 43, and promptly upon the completion of the up stroke of the plunger to be described, returns the cone valve to its seat. The spring 42 also accelerates the return of the ball valve 31 to its seat. 1

As shown in Figure 2, the lower surface of the stop element 39 is concaved to correspond to the convexity of the ball valve 31 and provides a means by which the ball valve is centered and directed axially toward the valve seat ring 35. It is important to observe that the stop element 39 remains in contact with the ball valve 31 only during a portion of the movement of the ball valve and that the ball valve 31 is entirely free while passing through the final phase of its descent so that the same may return for the presentation of a new surface to the seating ring 35.

With reference to Figure l it will be seen that the cone valve ll| coacts with a seating ring 5| conned within a cage 52 attached to the lower end of the working barrel 53. The seat contacting portion of the cone valve 4| may be formed with one or more annular grooves dening relatively narrow sealing annuli for engagement with the seat. This arrangement may be reversed by forming the sealing surface of the seat 5| with one or more annular grooves corresponding in purpose to the grooves in the ring 23.

The pump plunger comprises, in part, a lower iiuid conduit threaded into the closed cage 99 of a cone shaped valve |00. As illustrated in Figure l, the closed cage 99 has connection with the closed cage |02 of a traveling ball valve |04, the ball valve cooperating with a seat |05. Figure l further illustrates that the seat |05 is held in place in the lower portion of the closed cage |02 by the upper terminal of a traveling valve body |06, the valve body |06 having a plurality of cups i08 of conventional design mounted thereon. Of course, the bore of the cup body |06 provides a means by which fluid may ascend through the plunger upon its discharge from the pumping chamber |09.

The seat |05 is shown to be provided with an annular groove defining upper and lowerseating surfaces for the spherical valve element |04, the upper seating surface, in addition to functioning as such, providing a means by which the spherical valve element is directed axially into engagement with the lower seat as in the case of the ball 31 and the seat 35.

The cone shaped valve |00 is shown to be provided with a depending stem |01 having a contact element |08, the lower surface of which is concaved for engagement by the ball valve |04. The cone shaped valve |00 is urged to its seat ||2 by gravity and by an expansion spring ||4 conned between the contact element |08 and the spider-like member IIG.

The seating member ||2 is shown to have a seat corresponding to the conicity of the cone shaped valve |00 and to be provided between the upper and lower edges of the seat thereof with an annular groove I I1 dividing the seat into'upper and lower sections, each one of which is of sufficient area to cooperate with the cone shaped valve |00 in the establishment of a fluid tight seal.

Of course, the annular groove I1 is adapted for the reception of sand that would otherwise interfere with the seating of the valve |00 and 'when the valve |00 is unseated, the ascending uid will scavenge the groove ||1 so that when the valve is again seated it will not be interfered with by sand. The hub or central depending portion of the valve I|00 extends through the bore of the seat ||2 to assist in guiding the valve properly into engagement with the seat.

In the operation of the traveling valve assembly shown in Figure 1, when the plunger begins its down stroke, the valve elements |00 and` |04 are moved to fully open 'positions by the encountered iluid. Immediately, upon the completion of the down stroke and while the plunger is in the act of changing its direction of travel, the spring ||4 will urge the valve element |04 to seated position. Of course, the upper valve element is seated rst under the influence of the coil spring 4. l

The descent of the member |08 will be axially of the seat and will therefore direct the ball valve squarely onto its seat without an'attendant hammering on a particular portion of the seat |05, which hammering would be likely to destroy the seat. It is important to observe that the final phase of thedescent of the ball valve |04 is entirely free so that the ball valve may shift or roll slightly to present a new surface to the seat |05.

With reference to the foregoing description of the traveling valve assembly and its operation, it will be seen that the seating of the valve elements '|00 and |04 is effected by the mechanicalxforces directly associated with-these elements andy is not accomplished by the pressure of the fluid surrounding these parts so that an accelerated seating on the valve element is attained to the end that the valves are seated prior to the beginning of the up stroke of the plunger. In this manner, the initial phase of the ascent of the plunger is actually effective in lifting fluid.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: l j

1. In a pump valve A'for use in wells, a spherical valve element, andan annular valve body having a central axially extending passage for fluid .and

a surrounding seating surface flared upward and fluid receiving groove dividing the said seating surface into a lower final sealing area and an upper combination guiding and sealing area, said upper combination guiding and sealing area being positioned axially above said groove and said lower sealing area and co-axially therewith to cooperate with the uid in said groove in cushioning the impact of the spherical valve with the lower `final sealing area and in centering the spherical valve element for axial presentation to the lower sealing area.

2. In apump valve for usein wells, a spherical valve element, and an annular valve body having a. central axially extending passage for fluid and a-surroundng annular concave seating surface flared upward and outward and provided between the upper and lower edges thereof and in full communication with said fiuid rpassage with an annular sand and fluid receiving groove dividing the said seating surface into a lower nal sealing area and an upper-combination guiding and seal--l ing area, said upper combination guiding and sealing area being positioned axially above said groove and said lower sealing area and co-axially therewith to cooperate with the fluid in said groove in cushioning the impact of the spherical valve with the lower-final sealing area and in centering the spherical valve element for axial presentation to the lower sealingv area.

JOHN PENROD. 

